Running
by Isob3l
Summary: Hatter's been running from his past for as long as he can remember, but he can't run forever. Especially when someone from his past won't let him. Give this a shot. Alice/Hatter
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's been awhile…. Why not?**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**Running**

Chapter 1

He had to escape.

That was the only thing that made any sense to Hatter, as he ran.

He didn't know what he was running from or where he was, but he knew that he needed to get out.

He was running through a forest that could've easily been mistaken for the one where the white knights' palace was, but there was no palace in sight.

His heart was racing and his lungs felt as if he were about to burst while every muscle in his body was begging him to stop.

But he couldn't. He _needed_ to escape.

That was the only thing he knew and it was the only thing he needed to.

His feet grew numb from the cold and the rough forest ground was hell on his bare feet. For the life of him, he couldn't recall how he'd lost his shoes. Or how he'd gotten there. Or who he was running from.

But those thoughts barely entered his mind and he struggled to dodge branches and roots and anything that would slow him down.

"Hatter!" a familiar voice screamed, causing him to stop dead in his tracks despite his mind's urgings to move forward.

"Alice!" he screeched, fear beginning to cloud his exhausted mind.

He knew that he should keep running, but he didn't want to run. Not from her.

"David!" a different female voice called, followed by the sound of a baby crying.

"Help us!" a male voice begged over the sound of the baby.

He hadn't heard those voices in a while. Nearly 10 human years.

He looked around wildly for the source of the voices, desperate to get to them before his pursuer did.

Suddenly, a scream of anguish erupted through the forest, coming from the woman, and then the man, followed by an end to the baby's crying.

"No!" he bellowed, collapsing to his knees and using his hands to drown out their screams.

He sank lower into the cool, forest floor and tried to focus on his breathing rather than the heart wrenching screams.

Finally, they stopped and the only sound Hatter could hear was the sound of his breath and his heartbeat.

Removing his hands from his ears, he let out a sob and a muffled, "No!"

"You couldn't save them, Hatter," Alice's voice called, instantly having an effect on him.

His head shot up, taking in the vision of Alice, standing not 10 feet away in the same blue dress she was wearing when they met.

"Alice," he whispered, struggling to stand up.

"Are you going to save me?" she asked, her eyes curious, as if the question was of little importance.

"W-what?" he stammered, finally standing and taking a few steps toward her.

Out of the shadows, Mad March appeared behind Alice, bunny head and all. He slipped a knife out of his sleeve, glancing at Alice and then back at Hatter.

Alice remained focused on Hatter as if she didn't know Mad March was just behind her.

"Alice! Look out!" he screeched, beginning to stumble towards her.

"You can't run forever, Hatter," Mad March taunted.

Alice's eyes remained locked on Hatter, as March grabbed her arm and yanked her closer to him. He shot Hatter another look before raising the knife to plunge into her chest.

Hatter lunged toward them, screaming, "NOO!" just as Mad March plunged the knife into her chest.

Mad March vanished and Alice collapsed. Hatter landed at her feet and scrambled to catch her.

He laid her head on his lap, as she lay motionless on the ground, a growing red spot on her chest.

"Please Alice," he whispered, stroking her cheek and willing her to live.

He caught her unfocused eyes, gaining a weak smile from the dying Alice.

She blinked heavily a few times and he knew what was going to happen. He let out a choked sob as she whispered, "Wake up, Hatter."

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Hatter jolted up in the bed he and Alice shared, drenched in a cold sweat.

His heart was beating erratically and his breathing was heavy and shallow. He looked to his left to find Alice staring at him intently and clutching his arm, a terrified look displayed on her face.

"Hatter, are you ok?" Alice whispered, releasing her grip on his arm to rub her hand down his back soothingly.

"Where am I?" he asked, already knowing the answer, but needing confirmation.

"You're home. You had another nightmare. It's ok," she cooed.

He looked around their room, taking in the yellow wallpaper and copy of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ on the shelf across from them.

He let out a shaky breath, in an attempt to calm himself down and begged himself not to vomit.

Feeling bile rise in his throat, he jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom, narrowly making it to the toilet before he vomited.

He stayed there for a moment, hovering over the toilet on their bathroom floor, not wanting to face his concerned girlfriend.

He heard her feet pad down the hall before she crouched down next to him on the floor and wrapped her arms around his torso. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she whispered into his ear, "Come back to bed."

"What time is it?" he asked, his voice harsh and his throat sore.

"Three. Come back to bed," she whispered, her voice pleading with him to comply.

Nodding, he let her help him up and followed her back into their dark room.

"Can you tell me about it?" she asked as they climbed into bed, already knowing what he'd say but asking anyway.

He shook his head, steadily avoiding her eye.

He heard her sigh as she lied down, her back facing him. He settled in next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

So softly that if the room hadn't been dead silent he would've missed it, Alice whispered, "You're going to have to tell me eventually. You can't run from it forever."

**A/N: Not entirely sure how far I'll go with this, but please leave a comment. I'm open to ideas?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long. I'm usually a much better updater, but my charger broke so I've been computer deprived. It'll get better once my new charger comes in. Hope you like this.**

**Disclaimer: I own literally nothing. Standing on the street in a cardboard box as I type this.**

**Chapter 2**

"Tell me about your past."

There it was again. That question. She sometimes phrased it differently, but the meaning was always the same.

_How did you get like this?_

He usually managed to answer without giving much away, but he could tell the mystery was losing its appeal.

He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes and asked, "What do you want to know?"

Surprise flickered in Alice's eyes and the smile she was faking in an attempt to lighten the mood of the question lessened. She usually didn't get this far.

"Uhm well, anything really. What were your parents like?" she questioned, hesitantly.

He tensed, and his mind instantly started searching for an easy answer.

He took a sip of his coffee and looked around the coffee shop nervously, hoping to stall for time.

Clearing his throat, he replied, "They died when I was young."

Her eyes widened and she reached across the table to squeeze his hand.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, "How'd it happen?"

He let out a nervous laugh to disguise his discomfort and answered, "Can we talk about something else? Like anything else?"

She frowned and gulped. She nodded lightly, before shaking her head vigorously.

"Do you think I don't see it, Hatter?" she asked, abruptly.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand down his face.

"Please, love, let's talk about this later," he cooed, hoping to avoid this conversation.

"No, how about we talk about this now," she exclaimed, earning a few curious looks from the other people in the shop.

She glanced around the room and lowered her voice slightly before continuing, "Do you think I don't see it?"

"See what?" he asked, although he knew the answer. They did that a lot. Ask questions that they knew the answers to.

"That I'm losing you," she whispered, averting her gaze from his, "I am losing you, Hatter. Every night, when you shut your eyes, I lose another part of you. And one day, you're gonna wake up and there will be nothing left."

Tears shone in her eyes as she looked back up at him and continued, "And I know it has something to do with your past. I know that. And I want to help, but whenever I even start to get close to you, you shut me out. Why? What are you so scared of?"

"Now isn't the time for this, Alice," he answered, taking another sip of his coffee to appear calm, when in reality he was freaking out.

"When is the time?" she asked, her voice dull and her eyes empty as a familiar scene began to play out before them.

"I don't know. Just not now. Not yet. I'm not ready," he murmured, his voice losing volume as he spoke.

"Ready for what? Ready to trust me? Ready to let me in? We've been dating for over a year, Hatter. You have got to let me in eventually," she argued, standing from the table and storming out of the café.

Hatter sighed and placed a few bills on the table before following her, muttering a quick, "Keep the change," to the hostess.

"It's not that, Alice," he called after her.

At the sound of his voice, she slowed to a stop and yelled back, "Then what is it, Hatter?"

"I'm not ready to relive it," he muttered, part of him hoping she wouldn't hear.

She turned to face him and walked towards him, asking, "What?"

"I'm not ready to relive it," he muttered again, this time so that she could hear.

"Well, it sounds like you're already doing that every night," she concluded.

She was right, of course. She was always right. But that didn't make it any easier for him.

"You're right," he admitted, letting out a shaky breath.

"Let's go home," Alice whispered, grabbing her boyfriend's hand and tugging him in the direction of their apartment.

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Alice fumbled with the key to their apartment, talking about how talking about it would be good for him, but Hatter wasn't listening to her. Something was off.

Alice turned the key and grabbed the doorknob to open the door when Hatter's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She got quiet and looked at Hatter, eyes wide.

He placed a finger to his lips and pulled Alice behind him.

He opened the door slowly and stepped inside, pulling Alice behind him.

The door slammed shut behind them and a familiar figure stepped in front of it.

"Hello Hatter. Long time no see," a metallic voice called.

Alice let out a gasp of recognition, but Hatter's back remained to the man as he eyed Doctors Dee and Dum, who were pointing guns at him.

"Hello Mad March," he answered, keeping his back to him so that he and Alice were back to back.

Hatter spun himself slowly so that he and Alice had switched positions. He had no doubt that Alice could take the Doctors if need be and he doubted the three would come all this way just to shoot them.

Mad March appeared much as he had the last time they'd seen him, tall, in a black suit, and with a bunny for a head. It looked stronger though, like Hatter's 'sledgehammer' would barely make a dent.

"You're lookin good, Marchie. I vaguely remember killing you last time we met, so you'll have to forgive the surprise," Hatter bellowed, his mind searching for a way out of this.

"You should know by now that it'll take a little more than death to keep me from taking away things you love, Hatter," Mad March taunted, taking a step closer to Hatter.

Hatter flinched, causing Alice to shoot him a concerned look. He shook his head at her and she focused on the Doctors again.

"Well the psychos aren't your typical choice in companions. Are they trying to make you sane?" Hatter quipped.

"No," Mad March replied, circling the pair. Hatter turned to follow March and almost smiled when he stopped in-between the Doctors. Alice had a clear path to the door and no guns aimed at her. Maybe she'd get away.

"Then why are they here?" Hatter asked, genuinely curious beneath all of the fear.

"I hear that you've been having nightmares, Hatter," March began, cocking his head to the side, "I thought maybe they could help _you_."

"Get out of here Alice!" Hatter exclaimed, hearing the crack of the gun before the world went black.

**A/N: Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks to my reviewer! You are awesome sauce!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing… not even the lame puns I make… they are terrible… maybe I'll throw them into this story ;) **

**Chapter 3**

Hatter's next moments of consciousness came in snatches.

He was being strapped to a table before being injected with something that made him pass out.

The next time he woke up, all he got was the zap of a cattle prod and familiar voices. Nothing intelligible.

The third time he woke up, it was to screaming.

It wasn't until the blurry images of Doctor Dee and Doctor Dum standing before him appeared that he realized he was the one screaming.

They were shushing him like his screaming was inconveniencing them before he blacked out.

The next time was when things started to be pieced together.

He felt himself slowly regain consciousness, but kept his eyes shut, taking in what he could of his surroundings without letting anyone know he was awake.

He felt the cool metallic table against his bare back and listened to the steady beep of a heart monitor. Shifting his arm slightly, he felt the leather around his wrists, restraining his movement. Taking deep breaths, he fought to keep the heart monitor calm so as not to alert anyone to his presence. He listened for signs of life. Hearing none, he opened his eyes.

His vision was blurry, but he could make out that he was in a lab of some sort. He craned his neck to look around the room, instantly experiencing pain from the movement. Out of the corner of his eye, Hatter saw a flash of raven hair. Quickly, he strained his head in her direction, to find her hooked up to some strange machine, but otherwise unharmed. His heart monitor sped up as he struggled against his restraints.

"Alice!" he whispered, trying to remain calm and gain her attention.

There were cords on her temples and her hands were suspended above her by rope. She was hunched over in a chair, completely unconscious, and didn't so much as stir at the sound of his voice.

Panic began to cloud his judgment as he yelled, "Alice! Alice! Wake up! Alice? Please!"

He struggled against his restraints violently, his body protesting each movement as his heart monitor beeped out of control.

Mad March stepped into the room, followed by the doctors, one of them holding a syringe. March stepped in front of Alice, invading Hatter's view.

He felt one of the doctors restrain him as he screamed, "What did you do to her!? ALICE! ALICE!"

Hatter screamed her name over and over again, growing quieter with each second as whatever the doctors injected him with took effect. When he lost ability to scream, he whispered it, his eyes never leaving Mad March.

As his eyes drifted shut, he heard Mad March whisper, "Sweet dreams, Hatter."

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The last time he woke up, it was because of the cold. The room, which had been a relatively comfortable temperature before, was now frigid.

He wasn't careful about his actions this time, his eyes shooting open and instantly moving to struggle. The lack of restraints surprised him and his forceful movements made him groan. His body was in agony. Moving slowly, he pushed himself into a seated position and scanned the room.

It was devoid of people, notably Alice. The machine she was strapped to before lay empty and the thought made his heart speed up. But not his heart monitor. He wasn't hooked up to anything. On closer analysis of the room, there were no papers, nothing running, and it was eerily silent.

Hatter stood, shuddering from the cold.

_First thing's first,_ he thought, _I'm not running around Wonderland shirtless and bleeding._

He glanced down to his chest to find that it was bruised and burned and, in fact, bleeding.

He approached what looked to be a closet, muttering, "Well, at least I won't be shirtless."

He opened it and found that the only things hanging in it were the brown flowered shirt he wore when he met Alice and his brown hat.

"What the," he murmured as he grabbed the rest of his ensemble.

_When in Wonderland,_ he thought to himself, as he buttoned his shirt.

He looked around the room for any signs of life and found nothing. It was literally cleared of everything except for the furniture. It was completely different from his previous glances.

He didn't spend too much time thinking about it though, because he needed to find Alice.

And with that thought everything else drifted away and the uneasy calm he felt earlier gave way to anxiety. Maybe even panic. His heart pounded as he scanned the room for a weapon of some kind. He frowned, noticing nothing helpful and flexed his fist absentmindedly. He'd just have to hope his 'sledgehammer' would be enough.

With that conclusion, he scanned the room one more time before leaving in search of Alice.

Almost as soon as he stepped a foot outside of the room into the long, dark hallway, Mad March's voice boomed, "Well look who woke up! Good morning, sleepyhead!"

Without a single thought, Hatter charged toward the sound of the voice. He doubted someone as calculating as March would let Alice stray too far from him.

He ran through the empty hallway, following only the sounds of March's laughter.

Light streamed out at the end of the hall and a door became visible. Without enough time to slow himself down, he tumbled through the door, falling face first to the ground. He spit the dirt and grass out of his mouth and looked around, gingerly picking himself up from the ground.

He was in a forest. What was a lab doing in the middle of the forest? He glanced back to the building, or at least where it should have been. It was gone. The only things behind him were trees and rocks. No building of any kind.

Hatter approached the closet tree and placed a hand on its trunk nervously. It was solid and, honestly, he wasn't sure what he expected.

"Something's not right," he muttered, looking around the forest. It was similar to the one from Hatter's dream, but it could've been any forest.

_How did he know about my nightmares?_ Hatter asked himself. Something wasn't right here.

Before he had time to think about it more, a soft, tentative voice called out, "Hatter?"

Hatter's head shot up to find a familiar woman standing before him.

"Mom?"

**A/N: Hope this satisfies you. Shit's gonna happen. :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: Thanks to my awesome amazing fantastic reviewer! You are amazingness 3 Anyone else reading this should strive to be as awesome as you… and lucky for them they can be. All they have to do it REVIEW! It rhymes, so it must be true!**

**Disclaimer: If only I owned Alice or Andrew Lee Potts…. But alas.**

**Chapter 4**

"Mom?" Hatter croaked, not quite believing his eyes.

He looked his mother up and down, taking in the familiar sight. Her warm, brown eyes were fear-filled as she eyed him uncertainly. Her skin was paler than usual and her short, brown hair was disheveled. She looked as if she hadn't slept, bathed, or eaten in days.

"Where am I?" she asked breathlessly, taking in the sight of her son cautiously.

"I-I don't know. How are you here? Am I dead?" he stammered, his voice shaking.

Her eyes widened in realization. Her voice was scarily calm as she replied, "No you're not, sweetie. You can't be."

"But you," he stammered, closer to tears than he'd been in years, "you died! I saw you die! I watched you die! You're dead!"

He was shaking now, tears pricking the corner of his eyes.

His mother flinched at his tone, a reaction that succeeded in making him feel guilty. He shook his head to shake off the feeling. He had every right to be confused. He watched his mother be murdered years ago, so her appearance was a surprise, to say the least.

"I'm sorry that this is all so confusing to you and I can't explain things because I don't quite understand myself. The last memory I have is of making you and your father breakfast and then nothing. I'm terrified, David. Please don't scream at me."

She meant it too. He could tell that she meant every word. His mother was easy to read because of her expressive face. And at that moment, she was expressing pure, undisguised terror. Her eyes watered and Hatter felt his heart break her. He always hated seeing his mother upset.

Like second nature, he approached his mother, arms outstretched. He wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders and pressed her to his chest. He was significantly taller than her at this point, so she rested her head against his chest rather than on his shoulder like when he was younger and shorter.

He rubbed her back soothingly as she sniffled into his shirt. When the sniffling subsided, she moved to pull away, but he tightened his grip around her. It'd been a long time since he'd gotten to hug his mom. She seemed to understand and squeezed him back. He fought the sobs his body threatened to break into, knowing that he had to find Alice and figure out what was happening.

Pulling away reluctantly, Hatter asked, "Where's dad? Sophie? Do you think they survived? Did everyone survive?"

The faces of his father and sister came to his mind instantly and a seed of hope bloomed in his stomach for the first time in years.

"I-I don't know, David. I c-can't remember a-anything," she stuttered, her voice shaking.

"Okay, focus. We have to focus," he muttered, almost to himself.

"Focus on what? Why are you here?" she asked, confused.

Hatter looked at his mother very seriously and gripped her soldiers fiercely.

"Mom, I know this is scary. I don't know whether you're a ghost or alive and I have no idea what happened to dad or Sophie or," he paused, thinking over his words carefully before continuing, "well it doesn't matter. But I need to find Alice, my girlfriend. I know she's still alive. I know that. And before I look for anyone else, I have to find her."

"Alice?"

"Yes, Alice. I love her and she's in danger. I need to find her before he hurts her like he hurt you and everyone else I've ever loved."

His mother had a dazed look on her face. It looked like she was hearing what he was saying, but he had no way to tell if she comprehended it. He gave her a light shake to get her attention and begged, "Please mom. I need you to help me. I need you to keep it together and help me find Alice. Please."

She nodded numbly, her face registering the barest trace of recognition, but it was all Hatter could expect from her. She'd risen from the dead into her son's personal nightmare. Who wouldn't be terrified?

"Do you know anything that might help us?" he asked her, hoping she did, because he didn't have time to search the whole forest.

"She's not going to be able to help you, Hatter. She's a little disoriented," a voice called.

His mother clutched his arm in fear, her eyes widening with recognition.

"Him," she whispered fearfully.

"Mad March," Hatter confirmed, his eyes scanning the area for the source of the voice.

"I can help you find Alice," Mad March's voice boomed.

Hatter tensed as he prepared for whatever March had up his sleeve.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw next.

"Here she is."

As if on cue, Alice, in the blue dress he met her in, stepped out from behind a nearby tree.

Hatter turned to face his girlfriend, stepping protectively in front of his mother.

"Alice, put the gun down."

**A/N: This chapter was a smidge of a filler. Sowwy. But my computer is better so I'll be updating more quickly. Hope you enjoy this!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: My reviewer is still amazing! I hope people are reading this. Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your dog! Tell your cat! Tell your fish! Tell that weird guy standing in the alley muttering something about peanut butter! Tell those guys in that white va- err…. On second thought don't tell them… avoid them… Review!**

**Disclaimer: I totally own Alice… *red dot from sniper appears on forehead* I MEAN I DON'T! I DON'T! I OWN NOTHING! DON'T SHOOT!**

**Chapter 5**

"Alice, put the gun down. Please don't do this," Hatter called, his voice an attempt to be soothing.

He maintained eye contact with her, attempting to will the weapon out of her hand, but to no avail. Her eyes were cold and lifeless. Her face was twisted into a smile that was supposed to show cruelty or no remorse, but it just ended up looking empty. Something was wrong with her.

"Drop it, love," he cooed, his voice soft.

The look in her eyes remained the same and absolutely nothing wavered in her stance. This wasn't _his_ Alice.

"What is she waiting for?" his mother whispered from behind him.

That was a good question. She was clearly brainwashed or something, so why hadn't she shot yet?

And then it occurred to him, "Well, I won't fight you, love. You'll just have to shoot me."

His mother's grip on his arm tightened and she hissed, "Hatter."

"Take cover," Hatter whispered to his mother.

When she opened her mouth to question him, he whispered urgently, "Now. That's an order."

She rushed to take cover behind a nearby tree, but Alice took no notice of the movement. Her eyes, and her gun, were firmly trained on Hatter.

Slowly, he took a step towards her and, when she didn't react, he took another.

"Why don't you shoot me, love?" he asked, his voice eerily calm.

She didn't move and her face remained solid.

He slowly stepped closer and closer to her until her gun was pressed directly against his chest, and still she didn't move. Didn't even blink. She was like a statue and she seemed to be waiting for some direction.

"Alice, love, I don't know what he did to you, but-" Hatter began, eyeing her gun warily.

And then without warning, he gripped her wrist and spun her around so that her arm was pinned behind her back and her back was pressed to his chest. He removed the gun from her grasp and slid it in his mother's direction.

The movement seemed to trigger the Alice's attention. She stomped her foot down on his. _Hard._

He let out a sound of pain as she elbowed his stomach, stepping away from him as he doubled over. She swung her arm around to hit him in the head, but his years of training how to defend himself kicked in and he brought his hand up to block her arm.

He grabbed her arm and attempted to spin her around again, but she lashed out with her other hand and punched him in the jaw. He staggered back, eyeing her hand wearily. His ears were ringing and he tasted blood in his mouth.

_She probably broke her hand. How is she not feeling that?_

She twisted her body and brought her leg up to kick him in the stomach, but he again managed to block it. The action caused her to topple downwards and she hit the ground hard.

Hatter fought the protective instincts that threatened to break him. He needed to focus on restraining her so that he could undo Mad March's damage and he couldn't be concerned with helping her.

She looked up at him from the ground, her stomach facing down and hair falling all over her face, almost covering the wild look in his eyes. She swung her legs around and knocked his feet out from under him, bringing him crashing down painfully.

He groaned painfully, allowing himself to indulge his aching body for a moment. A moment too long unfortunately because instantly Alice was on top of him and her hands were around his neck.

Hatter desperately tried to free himself from her iron-like grip, but it was nearly impossible.

As Alice choked the life out of him, Hatter wheezed, "Alice, please."

Her eyes were cold and unremorseful. She was really going to kill him.

And he didn't mind that idea so much.

He couldn't beat her without hurting her and he clearly wasn't bringing her back, so he'd basically lost her. He didn't even want to have to deal with the mystery that was his mother and he wasn't prepared to dredge up those old feelings. He was tired of fighting. Tired of the fear and the anger and the nightmares.

He was tired of running.

So dying maybe wouldn't be so bad.

A gunshot rang out in the stillness of the forest and Alice was blown off of him. Immediately, air and relief started to fill his lungs.

But living was so much better.

The relief was short-lived and quickly replaced with panic.

He looked to his mother and saw her holding a steaming gun shakily. She looked terrified, but satisfied that she'd saved his life.

And killed Alice.

Hatter's eyes widened in fear and he bellowed, "What have you done?"

He scrambled over to an unconscious Alice, his eyes roaming her body for blood or any sign of a wound.

But there wasn't any.

Ignoring his mother's rambling and stuttered explanations, he probed her abdomen tentatively and was surprised to find it cold and hard and…

"Metallic," he muttered, causing his mother to stop her apologies.

"What?" she muttered fearfully.

"She's… It's metal. It's not Alice. It's some sort of robot," Hatter exclaimed, his voice full of relief.

Suddenly, robot-Alice's eyes shot open and she pounced on him.

She was straddling him, her arms reaching for his neck when he released his sledgehammer and socked her in the jaw.

Her metallic face shattered, with bits of robot flying everywhere, and her eyes went dull as she shut down. Her body went lip and collapsed to the ground.

Hatter jumped to his feet, rubbing his neck thoughtfully as his eyes took in the sight of his destroyed robot-girlfriend.

His mother joined his side, eyeing him warily.

"Are you ok?" she asked, her voice dripping with concern.

"No. No, I'm not," he replied, his voice dull.

"W-well, are you hurt? I can m-maybe help-"

"Yes, I'm hurt. I'm bruised, burned, and bleeding. The man who has killed everyone I've ever loved is now trying to kill me from the inside out, using robot versions of my girlfriend. I'm lost and confused and I have no idea where I am or what I'm doing, but Mad March does. And that psycho has the first girl I've loved in years," he paused his rant to look at his mother before continuing, "And to make matters worse he's given you back to me. I don't know why or how and I don't know how to handle this. I don't know if I can trust you and if I lose you again, then I don't know how I'll handle it."

His mother opened her mouth as if to comfort him, but he silenced her with a look.

"Alice wanted to know what I was running from, mom," he looked away from his mother, "This. This is what I'm running from."

**A/N: Bit of a rant there from Hatter at the end, but if I was going through what he was I'd be ready to explode too. So, I hope you liked this chapter. The mind games though like… Mad March is wicked. Please review if you're reading! If you review, I'll give you imaginary cupcakes! Yummy. Doesn't that sound tempting?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I hope you like this!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Alice.**

**Chapter 6**

Hatter's mother moved as if to comfort him, but Hatter shook his head at her. She paused before taking a step back.

Hatter took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face. This was becoming too much.

"Let's just find Alice and then we'll see about escaping from this place," Hatter concluded.

He didn't wait for his mother's response before heading off in a random direction. They had no idea where they were going, so it didn't really matter which road they chose. He didn't check to see if his mother was following, but from the sound of her occasional sniffles, he could tell she was.

He didn't want to make her upset. He really didn't. He loved his mother, but he had no idea if he could trust her or if she was even real. He'd held her as she died. He'd watched her draw her last breath and seeing her now scared him. He didn't know what was real or what was fake.

Although he wanted to comfort her, he knew that he had to keep moving.

He waited for a sign. Every move he'd made this far was led in some way by Mad March. He'd been led out of the lab by his voice and he'd been distracted by the Alice robot. So he wandered and hoped for some sign.

But nothing came.

They wandered until it was almost too dark to see.

"D-David?" his mother murmured tentatively.

He turned to find her leg caught in a holed. Her face was masked in awkwardness and it was almost comical. He walked over and put his hands under her arm to yank her up.

When she was freed, Hatter decided, "We should stop for the night. We're not going to get anywhere in the dark."

She nodded, attempting to hide her relief, but he knew that she must be exhausted. His mother was always more of a bookworm than the get active type. He was the same when he was younger, but life kind of forced him to get in shape.

He scanned the area, hoping for a cave or something to give them cover, but he could barely see past his face. Sighing he sat down and resigned to lean against a tree. The ground was soft and grassy, so it wouldn't be the least comfortable position he'd slept in. His mother looked unsure before following his lead and leaning her back against a tree across from him. She began to study him as best she could in the dark.

"I'm going to stay up and keep watch, but you should get some rest. We have a long and probably dangerous day tomorrow," Hatter offered, feeling slightly uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

"You've changed so much," she whispered. The statement caught him by surprise. He'd begun to think that they were just going to ignore the elephant in the room.

He let out an empty laugh at her statement and replied, "A lot has happened."

She looked away from him for a second, seemingly deep in thought, before resuming her gaze and saying, "I'm so sorry that I haven't there for you, darling."

"Mom, it's not your-"

"No, I know. It isn't my fault, but I am sorry. You've grown up. I've missed it all. Your entire life has happened and I wasn't there for it," she interrupted, her eyes fierce. She looked stronger than before. He was relieved that she'd seemed to get a handle on all that she was feeling.

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry, too," he muttered. He wished that he could run away from this conversation. He tried his best to avoid conversations that delved too deeply into his feelings. Feelings in general made him uncomfortable.

"Can I at least hear about it?" she asked tentatively, as if she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

"Why would you want to hear about my life?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. It sounded like it would only depress her.

"I want to know who my son is," she answered simply, her eyes full of conviction.

He considered telling her no, but she deserved to know. Alice was right. He needed to stop running. And he wasn't sure how long he'd have his mother before his world came crashing down, so it'd probably feel nice to be able to turn to her.

"Uhh well ok. I don't want any pity or feeling sorry for yourself though. It happened and it's fine. I'm happy now, so it worked out," he warned.

When she nodded, he began, "Well, after you guys were murdered," she winced at this, but he continued, "I was sent to an orphanage because technically I was still a minor. I stayed there for a while until they decided that I was too much trouble and was shipped off to live with some foster families."

"Too much trouble?" his mother asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

He smirked and replied, "I may or may not have had a penchant for sneaking out, stealing food from the kitchen, sitting on the roof, and playing pranks on the other people there."

She laughed loudly and Hatter decides that he missed the sound of it. His mom had always been a laugher. She laughed at everything and she had a nice laugh.

"Well, after I was passed around from family to family. They were nice most of the time and we got along, but it was never really a good fit. They all wanted to like fix me and I hated that. So when I was 17, I ran away and lived on my own. Wonderland was having some major problems at the time with Queen holding her coup d'état so no one really had time to look for one runaway orphan. I took odd jobs around Wonderland from then on and travelled a lot. I saw a lot of the countryside since I was living in it most of the time."

He paused for her to laugh at his sad attempt at a joke. She didn't. He wasn't sure if he really expected her to.

"It went on like that for a while. I was getting by. It wasn't easy, but it worked. One winter, though, it got particularly bad and no one was hiring. It was getting too cold to sleep outside so I was getting desperate. So I came to this town and was basically begging for work when I passed by a big building. It dealt with like social services and all that, so I barged in and demanded to meet with someone. I looked a little worse for wear at the time so they turned me away. So I rushed past the guards and somehow found my way to the president's office and begged for a job. And that man was the greatest man I've ever met."

His mom looked surprised and she appeared interested in what he was saying. He found himself smiling at the memories. It'd been so long since he'd thought about his past.

"His name was Mr. White and he was a great guy. He gave me a job and the name of a place that I could stay. I started at the bottom, but I didn't mind. While I worked there, I learned a lot. He eventually made me his personal assistant and took me under his wing. He taught me about surviving and the world around me and we got to be really close. He even invited me over for dinner at his house a few times. And that was where I met his daughter."

Hatter smiled at the thought of her. It was nice to be thinking of the good things instead of the bad. His mother smiled knowingly and asked, "Is this the Alice I've heard so much about?"

Hatter gave her a funny look and shook his head before continuing, "No. Alice came much later. This girl's name was Schuyler. She was beautiful and funny and nice. Everyone who met her fell in love with her and I was no exception. I fell hard and I fell fast. For whatever reason, she seemed to love me too. We started dating secretly, because we were scared her father wouldn't approve. He found out though, and reluctantly let me date her because he knew that I was a good kid. And I was on like cloud 9. It was perfect. I turned 18 and we planned to get married and run away together. It was all set. Things were perfect. But that never really lasts with me."

His mother's smile faded and Hatter's eyes became devoid of happiness. Fondly reminiscing on his life was over. It went significantly downhill from there until Alice.

"He uhm… found me. I thought ruining my life would be enough for him, but he wanted every ounce of my happiness and nothing less would do. So, when I came over to her house one day, I found her lying in her bed, covered with blood, and-" he froze, not sure if he wanted to continue.

His mom reached and placed a hand on his forearm, squeezing lightly.

He took a deep breath before continuing, "Dead. I just screamed. A lot. It's kind of a blur, but I remember holding her body and screaming and crying. Her parents ran in and their reactions were horrible. Her mom just stood there, as if she couldn't believe what was happening and I literally watched her heart break. Mr. White held her hand and demanded to know who did this. He couldn't really wrap his mind around anything other than his fury. I think it's what helped him cope."

"It was Mad March?" his mom guessed, finally understanding part of his miserable life.

He nodded.

Her dad found this piece of paper in her other hand. It was from Mad March to me. It said that she died because of me like anyone I loved would. He told me that I was selfish for loving someone when I knew that he was out there. And it was true. I was selfish. It was my fault."

Tears shined in his mother's eyes as her grip on his arm tightened.

"Her dad really took it to heart. He punched me and told me to leave before I destroyed someone else. I don't think he really meant it. I think deep down he didn't blame me for what happened and he knew that I loved his daughter more than anything, but he was so angry and he needed someone to blame. Mad March wasn't there and I was. So, I left. I ran out of town and I haven't gone back since.

"I knew that he wouldn't be able to resist seeing his work though. So, I waited. And when he came to me, to brag, I bashed his face in. I killed him. I shattered his skull and kept punching him. Someone must've seen me because I was arrested and thrown into jail. It wasn't for long though because by that time they'd figured out that he had it out for me, so it became self-defense and I was released."

His mother let out a breath. He assumed it was out of relief. She probably was hoping that he was finished with his tale of misery.

"It was pretty bad after that. I tried to kill myself twice before deciding that it was pointless. Maybe I was meant to live or something."

She trailed a hand down the vertical scars on his wrist, as if noticing them for the first time. Most people didn't notice them. Alice only did after a couple months of dating. She pressed him for an explanation, but he remained vague. He told her that he'd tried to kill himself because life sucked.

He really was a horrible boyfriend. He may have been attentive and supportive and charming, but the fact that he never shared must have driven her insane.

He cleared his throat and concluded, "I think that's enough for tonight. Try and get some sleep."

**A/N: I hope this was good. Please review to let me know how you feel about the direction in which this story is heading. Feedback would be amazing. :3**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hope you guys like this!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except maybe Hatter's mother in this…. Mwahahahahaha!**

**Chapter 7**

The more Hatter tried to force himself to sleep, the more awake he became.

His mother slept soundly though, which Hatter found odd. She was a habitually light sleeper. The slightest sound would wake her up. Even when she finally did manage to get to sleep, she shifted endlessly. His dad used to complain about it and she said that it was because she was a naturally nervous person. This was also true. She scanned any room she was in intensely, memorizing even the slightest detail. It took a lot of convincing to get her to allow Hatter to spend time with friends or play sports and she rarely ventured farther than their backyard.

But while she was slumped against the trunk of a tree in a forest full of creatures that made sounds, she slept soundly, not shifting even slightly.

And that was what convinced Hatter that he couldn't trust her.

This woman wasn't his mother. She seemed to think she was though, which was the most confusing part of all of this.

Hatter wasn't sure he felt relieved to know the truth or miserable about the fact that this woman who was so like his mother wasn't.

Mad March really had done a marvelous job with her though. She was in every aspect, his mother. She looked like his mother and talked like his mother and reacted like his mother. He even got the way she'd clutch his arm when she was scared or upset right. The sleeping mistake wasn't noticeable and it was certainly an easy one to make.

That left Hatter with a decision to make.

Should he interrogate her or play along?

Everything that was happening to him was clearly preplanned to some extent by Mad March. Probably even his reactions were part of the plan, since no one knew him better than Mad March. He had no idea where to go and he suspected that he'd only find Alice when Mad March wanted him to. He also suspected that interrogating the woman would do little to help him. It'd be only a minor flaw in Mad March's otherwise perfect plan and it probably wouldn't change the outcome.

So, as he eyed her nervously in the moonlight, Hatter decided to play along with the idea of this woman as his mother.

He pretended that the decision was completely rational and made without feeling, but deep down he knew that part of it was due to how similar she was to his mother. He didn't know if he could handle being harsh to her and, if he was being honest, he really liked having her back. He'd been an orphan for most of his life and having a mother felt good. It felt easy. He wasn't sure if he could give that up just yet.

When the sun began to rise, Hatter shook her gently until her eyes blinked open wearily. When her gaze focused on him, he said, "C'mon. We should cover some more ground."

He pulled her to her feet and held his hand in front of him expectantly. She looked down at his hand and wrinkled her brow before slowly putting her own hand in his. He pulled his back quickly and exclaimed, "No. I'm not wandering through Wonderland holding my mom's hand."

She rolled her eyes at his macho response and asked, "What do you want then?"

"The gun," he answered. When he noticed her confused expression, he added, "The one you shot Alice with."

Finally understanding, she nodded and pulled the gun out of the waistband of her pants. She hesitated before handing it to him for a beat too long. His real mother would only be too happy to get rid of a gun. She probably would have left it back with the Alice-robot's body, not tucked it into her pants.

Hatter offered her a grateful smile that was more than a little forced, as he tucked the gun into his own pants. She didn't seem to notice how fake it was and smiled back softly. That part Mad March had gotten right and Hatter found his own smile becoming less fake as he saw it. He'd missed that smile.

He cleared his throat awkwardly as he tried to remember that this woman wasn't his mother.

"Which direction do you think we should head?" he asked her, figuring that she'd probably know where to head better than he would.

She furrowed her eyebrows at him again at his invitation for her involvement. She shrugged and pointed behind him, looking truly clueless as to where they were heading.

He nodded and began to head in that direction, hoping that something would happen soon.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It felt like they'd been walking for hours when Hatter finally lost it.

He looked at his surroundings and noticed nothing different. Literally nothing. It felt like they were walking in circles. The woman must have thought so too because after a while, she asked, "Do you think we could maybe start searching for food? I'm starving."

Hatter wasn't. He probably should have been, but he was far too high strung to be hungry.

"I don't see food," he replied gruffly, not slowing his pace even slightly.

She let out a small sigh and trudged behind him dutifully. Without warning, he stopped, the woman slamming into his back at the suddenness of his action.

Before she could question him, he screamed, "So this is your plan!? Have us wander around Wonderland aimlessly? I always knew you were stupid, but I at least thought you were creative!"

The woman looked at Hatter, her eyes wide in shock.

"Hatter, sweetie, calm down," she whispered, glancing around the forest nervously.

He turned to face her and replied, "No. I'm tired of this bullshit. I want something to happen. If he's going to make a move, he should just make it now! We're never going to find her like this and I just want him to do something!"

She opened her mouth to try and calm him again when a clear, sharp laugh echoed through the forest.

Hatter almost smiled at the sound of it. He was more relieved than he should've been.

"You want action?" Mad March's voice echoed.

Hatter didn't have to respond. Mad March continued, "Let's play a little game. Alice misses you anyway."

As if on cue, easily 20 Alice's stepped out from behind the trees surrounding Hatter and the woman. The Alices rushed over to Hatter on sight and began to all scream and call to him at once. On instinct, Hatter pushed his mother behind him. The only thing he could make out from the rabble was, "I'm the real Alice."

They all seemed to repeat that phrase, trying desperately to convince him.

Mad March's voice boomed, "You have an hour to figure out which Alice is real and kill each of the others. If you don't, the real Alice will die, and the fakes will try to kill you and your mother."

**A/N: Hope you guys like this turn of events! I'm pretty excited about it. Review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'm up to three readers I think and I am super pumped! I love you guys! I hope you like this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: It hurts me to say this, but I don't own Alice. :/**

Chapter 8

Hatter froze amongst the cluster of screaming girls at the sound of the rules.

The Alices reacted too, by shouting their anger and pleading with Hatter even more desperately for him to believe them.

"Anything else I should know before I start?" Hatter called, hoping that there was nothing else.

"Yeah, actually," Mad March's voice boomed, causing Hatter to curse under his breath. March continued, "You can't just touch them to figure out if they're robots or not. In fact, any of them you touch I'm going to kill instantly until you've figured out whether they're Alice or not."

Hatter received the news with mixed feelings. He knew it was supposed to make him upset, but he was just pleased that 19 of them were robots and not humans. Killing them would at least make him feel less awful, although the image of shooting his girlfriend would never leave him.

Sighing, Hatter tried to get the Alices to stop screaming. When it was clear that he'd never be heard over their shouts, he pulled the gun out of his waistband and fired into the air. That shut them up.

With their shouting silenced, Hatter yelled, "Oi. Get into a line and shut up while I figure this out."

Most of the Alices shot him incredulous looks before following his order and lining up before him.

Hatter took a second to take in the sight of the twenty Alices standing before him in the blue dress she was wearing when they met. He scanned their faces for any giveaways, and felt like screaming when he realized that they were perfect lookalikes. He had no doubt that he'd be able to figure it out eventually. He'd managed to tell that his mother was a phony after only one night with the handicap of not seeing her in years, so he'd know _his_ Alice from these phonies. Time was of the essence though and he only had an hour.

He also knew that if he made the slightest mistake, Alice would die.

"I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette," he murmured, letting out another sigh.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked from behind him, wearing his mother's trademark look of concern.

"No," he replied, "It has to be me."

Slowly, he stepped up to the first Alice in the line. Being careful not to touch her, he scrutinized her. When he caught her eye, she looked down nervously. That was how he knew. Quickly he stepped back and pulled his gun out in front of him, pointing it at her.

Her eyes went wide with fear and she began stammering her arguments to convince him that she was Alice. He let out another sigh and muttered, "Here goes nothing."

Then, he pulled the trigger.

Chunks of metal from the Alice robot's head flew around them as the bullet made contact with its head. The robot fell back and Hatter let out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

"One down, eighteen to go," he whispered, swallowing hard.

He stepped to the next one and scrutinized her, looking for a flaw. She looked slightly irritated with him, a look that could very well be Alice's. He leaned close to her, being careful to keep his distance, and asked, "Who killed my parents? Only the _real_ Alice would know."

Without hesitation, she whispered back, "Mad March."

He pulled back and whipped out his gun so quickly that she only had time to smile smugly as he pulled the trigger.

He let out another breath when he realized that he'd been right again. He'd been lucky.

He used the same strategy for the next twelve girls and eliminated each one of them. Mad March must not have realized that Alice didn't know Hatter's past.

When he approached the fifteenth girl, she eyed him warily. He leaned in again and asked the same question and was surprised when she answered, "Oh screw you, Hatter."

He pulled back, surprised, and was met with an angry looking Alice.

"W-what?" he stammered, genuinely surprised.

"Screw you. Only the _real_ Alice would know that? What am I? A mind reader? Am I supposed to have figured that out by the depth with which I know you?" she yelled, her face getting redder and her eyes getting wider.

He opened his mouth to explain, but she wasn't finished. Angrily, she continued, "You know damn well that I've been asking you the same question since we met and I never got an answer. So, I'm not gonna answer that. You can shoot me if you can't tell that I'm Alice, but we both know I'd kick your ass before you get the chance."

He smiled widely at her and pulled out his gun again, pointing it directly at her. The action made her look even angrier.

"I know you're Alice," he replied simply, as he swung his arm around to the girl next to her and fired.

The anger left her expression as she realized the method to his madness and instantly leapt into action, attacking one of the four remaining Alices.

The robots dropped the act and moved to attack Hatter, who managed to drop another one before the gun was knocked from his hand.

Two of the Alice robots advanced at him and Hatter instantly prepared himself to fight them without holding back.

His eyes flicked to Alice, who had successfully knocked her robot to the ground and was on top of it. He looked back just in time to dodge the first robot's attack. It swung its arm around at his head. He ducked out of way of that attack, but didn't move out of the way for the other robot's swift punch to his stomach.

He resisted the urge to double over and instead staggered back a little. He grabbed ahold of the closest robot's arm when it swung at him again and used one of Alice's karate lessons to swing it over his shoulder, leaving the robot flat on its back behind him. Without hesitating, he lashed out with the full force of his right hook. His fist made contact with the robot's face and took a large chunk out of it.

The robot twitched for a moment before falling back.

Hatter sighed in relief and looked to see how Alice was doing. He was relieved to see her winning by beating the robot's head with a rock, although it was a slightly disturbing image.

He watched her for a beat too long and forgot about the second robot, which used the opportunity to knock Hatter off his feet.

The robot straddled Hatter's chest and pressed its hand to his neck, tightening its grip. Hatter couldn't help but feel amused at the irony. This was the second time his girlfriend tried to kill him in the exact same way in the exact same dress.

And for the second time, he was saved by a gun shot. Except this time, it was Alice firing.

The Alice robot dropped to the floor and Hatter looked up to see Alice holding the gun in front of her. When he caught her eye, she lowered it slowly and said, "No one kills my boyfriend but me."

**A/n: I'm so glad that Alice is in this story now because I like her. I hope you guys do too. Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: Update time! I hope you guys like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Alice.**

**Chapter 9**

There was a tense moment when Alice and Hatter just stared at each other, maintaining intense eye contact.

Alice was the first to break it.

Without warning, she dropped the gun to the ground and ran to Hatter, who opened his arms to receive her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he could feel her shaking slightly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her snugly to his chest.

He shut his eyes, letting himself enjoy the feeling of her in his arms. He'd missed her.

Without thinking about it first, Hatter whispered in Alice's ear, "I'm so sorry, love. I'm so sorry that I didn't let you in. I'm going to be better. I'm going to tell you everything that you want to know and I'm going to get us out of this. I'm so sorry."

He didn't open his eyes to look her, but he could tell she was smiling as she said, "I know. It's okay."

He held her for a few moments more before he heard someone clear their throat in front of him. He opened his eyes, but was reluctant to pull away and face his mother. Alice, however, was not. Quickly, she pulled herself out Hatter's arms. He had to stop himself from pulling her back.

Alice scanned his mother briefly before looking at Hatter suspiciously and asking, "Who is this?"

Hatter opened his mouth to answer, but his mother beat him to it.

"I'm Hatter's mom. You must be Alice. I've heard a lot about you. Hatter's been talking of nothing, but you since we found each other," his mother rambled nervously before sticking her hand out for Alice to shake.

Alice's eyes went wide as she took the woman's hand and shook it slowly.

"I thought she was," Alice's eyes flicked from Hatter to his mother and back to him as she spoke, "Well, dead."

"Yeah, I don't really understand it either. I think she's part of Mad March's plan somehow," Hatter admitted.

His mother didn't disagree, and he could tell that they'd come to the same conclusion about her sudden reappearance.

Alice nodded slowly in an attempt to look calm despite the fact that she was freaking out.

"What do you remember?" Hatter asked, cutting the introductions short.

Alice shook her head slowly and answered, "Not much. I have some weird glimpses of being hooked to a machine in a lab. You were chained to a table completely passed out. They were t-torturing you," she paused to take a breath to steady herself. He reached for her hand and interlocked their fingers. She smiled at him slightly and continued, "And some of the glimpses were hazy. You were screaming in some of them, but the Doctors drugged me up every time I woke up. And then all of a sudden, I was here with a bunch of clones of me and you were asking them questions."

Hatter nodded and Alice asked, "What did I miss?"

"Pretty much the same beginning. I caught glimpses of you and woke up to a little bit of pain. The last time I woke up in the lab it was empty so I ran out into the hallway and followed Mad March's voice out some door that led me here. I ran into my mom and then an Alice robot that almost killed me. Not much else until now."

This time it was Alice who nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated slightly. After mulling it over for a few seconds, she asked, "Are you hurt? You were tortured."

At the mention of his injuries, Hatter's body screamed for attention. He'd been ignoring it in his frantic search for Alice, but now that she was safe, he was in agony.

"No. I'm fine," he lied, forcing himself not to grimace.

"Liar," Alice muttered, reaching forward to probe his chest.

He stepped away from her grasp and stated, "I'll live. Right now, we need to find a way out of here. It's only a matter of time before Mad March makes his next move."

Alice looked like she was about to protest, but his mother chimed in, "We really should mo-"

She froze, her eyes growing wide.

"Mom?" Hatter asked tentatively.

When she didn't move or respond, Alice asked, "Mrs. err… Hatter?"

Hatter shot her an incredulous look and asked, "Do you really think that's my last name?"

She looked annoyed and answered, "No. I don't know. It's your fault for being secretive."

Hatter rolled his eyes at her playfully and turned his attention back to his mother. He removed his hand from Alice's and stepped closer to her slowly.

Suddenly, she asked, "Hatter, if I'm alive, do you think maybe…"

She didn't have to finish her thought. He knew what she was going to ask and honestly, he didn't know how to respond. He wanted to believe that his father and sister were alive, but he knew that hoping only ever led to disappointment in his life.

"Mom, I watched you die. I saw it happen. I can't explain you being here, but I don't think they're alive," he explained. He decided not to mention the fact that she wasn't really his mother. He was starting to wonder if she knew that she was a phony. He wasn't supposed to though, so he kept it a secret.

"Well you didn't think I was alive either," she exclaimed, almost angry at his instant dismissal of the rest of their family.

"And this is a fluke! You shouldn't be here. I watched you die. They're not coming back, so don't get your hopes up," he replied angrily.

"But you didn't actually _see _them die. They were gone before you got there! Maybe they made it!" she screamed, tears appearing at the corner of her eyes.

"And you don't think I stopped to check? You don't think that I hoped that they could be saved? I checked. They were dead. And so were you. I know that. I've dreamt about it since I was 15. So trust me when I tell you that they are dead," he answered coldly. He was angry at her for implying that he hadn't made sure that they were gone. He was furious that she was trying to give him hope for them. Hope was the last thing he needed.

His mother's jaw set and he could tell that she was angry at him, too.

"We should move," Alice interjected, her voice cutting the tension.

She grabbed Hatter's arm and gave a tug.

With a sigh, he nodded and turned to follow.

"What happened to you?" his mother whispered.

He knew she didn't want him to hear, so he didn't acknowledge that he did and kept moving.

It was a good question.

**A/N: I don't know how I feel about this one. It's not my best. I feel like this story is getting worse, but it's hard to tell. Anyway, review please. Even if you want to bash me.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Alice.**

**Chapter 10**

The odd group wandered around the forest until it became too dark to see.

Neither of the women behind him said it, but Hatter could tell that they were tired.

"Maybe we should stop for today," he suggested, eyeing his mother's sluggish movements.

The two women didn't hesitate to drop to the ground instantly.

He fought the urge to laugh at how dramatic they were being and sat with his back to a tree-trunk. Alice stretched lightly and offered, "I can keep watch."

He could instantly tell that she didn't mean it. Her eyes drooped and she looked exhausted.

Rolling his eyes, Hatter countered, "Don't be silly. I couldn't sleep if I wanted to, so you rest up and I'll be lookout."

Alice eyed him suspiciously, as she should have. He hadn't slept since they'd gotten to this strange place, nor had he eaten. They'd stopped to drink at a nearby stream, but he was hardly thirsty. Aside from his throbbing body, he felt very little discomfort. Although he was pretty sure he was running on pure adrenaline and terror. He kept his exterior calm as she studied him, knowing that he must have looked horrible.

Sighing, she asked, "Promise you'll wake me up in a couple hours, so that you can get rest?"

"Of course," he lied.

She scrutinized him again for signs that he was lying.

Slipping off his jacket, Hatter opened his arms and smiled charmingly.

"Come 'ere, love," he beckoned, gesturing for her to come closer.

Reluctantly, she smiled and sat down next to him. He draped his brown, leather jacket around her shoulders and pulled her legs across his lap, so that she was essentially sitting on his lap. She leaned her head on his shoulder and his arms encircled her waist to hold her steady.

It didn't take long for Alice to fall asleep and Hatter allowed himself to look at his mother.

She was leaning across from the couple, watching them contentedly. She seemed happy at how he cared for her and Hatter felt bad for yelling at her earlier. He knew that he was probably right and that this woman wasn't his mother, but it was the small, niggling hope in the back of his mind that urged him to say, "I'm sorry about earlier."

Her eyes moved from Alice to catch his. She nodded slowly and replied, "I'm sorry. This all must be so tough on you. I'm sorry that I'm making it worse."

"It's not your fault," he concluded.

A tense silence filled the air for a moment before she said, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier, too."

He knew what she meant without her having to say it.

"You're right. I'm not the same person I was."

She shook her head quickly and argued, "No. You are. I see it."

Hatter opened his mouth to argue with her, but his mother wasn't going to accept his disagreement.

"Sweetie, I see it. You are always making sure that everyone is okay before even thinking about yourself. You're still the sweet boy I raised. I had no right to imply that you weren't, because you are. You're just gruffer. Less trusting, less willing to let yourself hope. But I guess with everything you've gone through, you have every right to be. You needed to be to survive. And that survive at all costs instinct isn't one that can be turned on and off. I see that now. I'm sorry."

Hatter smiled lightly her and said, "Thanks."

She nodded again and smiled, the most genuine smile she'd given since he'd found her. She paused for a moment before saying, "Do you remember when Sophie would ask you to play that game with her? What was it called?"

"Save the Princess," he replied, smiling at the memory.

His baby sister would beg him to play with her and he'd always say no at first, but the second she flashed those big brown eyes at him, he'd play anyway. The game would typically be one where she was the princess and he'd have to save her from various things. Sometimes she'd let him save her, but other times she'd save herself. Even though she was only 6 when she died, he respected her for that. And they'd had fun.

"I used to love watching you play it from the window. It never made any sense though. Your father and I always tried to figure out the rules, but we never could," she mused, her eyes sparkling from the memory.

He grinned at her and exclaimed, "That's because there weren't any! Soph just made it up as she went and expected me to follow them. She's insane and it was ridiculous."

"But you played with her anyway," his mother pointed out, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

"Only because of those stupid, puppy dog eyes. It's ridiculous. Alice says that I do the same thing, but mine cannot be anywhere near as cute as Soph's were."

His mother wrinkled her nose at him and teased, "Oh I don't know. You were a bit of a momma's boy back in the day and you'd always give me those eyes."

Hatter rolled his eyes playfully and quipped, "That's being manipulative not adorable. Soph didn't even know what she was doing."

His mother's eyes widened dramatically and she laughed, "Are you kidding me? Sophie knew what to do when she wanted something from you. She played you like a violin."

Hatter joined in her laughter. It gradually began to quiet into a depressing silence. Quietly, Hatter's mother asked, "So Sophie didn't survive?"

Hatter paused and shook his head at her.

"She wasn't tortured, right?"

He looked into the woman's eyes, his mother's eyes, and felt his heart break for her. He was used to this pain. It was a cross he'd carried for most of his life. But it was new to her. She may not have been his real mother, but she certainly thought she was, and this loss was fresh for her.

"No," he replied, his voice strong, "It was quick. At least in that aspect, he was merciful."

Her eyes drooped as the reality of their situation began to set in even more. He wanted so badly to give her strength, but at the moment, he was having a hard time getting enough for himself.

"Can I ask why? Or is that a touchy subject?" she asked hesitantly, her voice wavering slightly as she eyes him cautiously.

"Uhm well it is, but you deserve to know I suppose," he took a steadying breath before continuing, "It was my fault. I befriended the psychopath. Kids at school were mean to him and I felt bad. I never had many friends, so I thought it'd be a good chance to make some. He was cool at first, too. I couldn't understand why people didn't like him."

He paused to glance at his mother, who seemed to be hanging off of his every word.

"But he got crazier. Clingier, I suppose, is a better word. He wanted to hang out a lot and he tried to turn me against people who were I'd always been cool with. He got jealous when I spent time with other people and was mad when I didn't hang out with him. It was almost like he was in love with me or something. So, I snapped at him. I told him to stop being psychotic and to leave me alone. I guess he took my words literally, because he uhm… he left me alone. He left me completely and utterly alone."

"That's not your fault," she assured, but her voice wavered. His mother had always been a nervous, suspicious woman. She rarely trusted people and had told Hatter to them in general. She'd especially warned him about Mad March, but he'd simply accused her of listening to gossip. He suspected the only reason that his mother had married his father was because his father was so steady and reliable. He was someone you'd always be able to count on, no matter what.

He gave her a look and countered, "I may not have handed him the gun, but I did invite him into our lives, despite the warnings I got."

His mother opened her mouth to argue, but he cut her off with, "You don't have to argue with me, mom. I know what you're going to say. But it was my fault. I didn't do it intentionally, but it was my fault."

His mother shut her mouth, but looked dissatisfied with the resolution.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

She shrugged and replied, "Well, I basically woke up yesterday morning to discover that my husband and daughter are dead, I'm supposed to be dead, my son grew up without me, and the man who killed me and my family is trying to kill you. I've been better."

He shrugged, a light smile on his face, and added, "On the upside, your son grew up handsome and charming."

The expression of sadness left her face and a laugh escaped her lips. He joined in the laughter and the two of them began to crack up for the second time that night.

And it felt good.

It felt like he had a mom again.

He let himself enjoy her while he could, which was probably a mistake, because she wasn't his mother.

_She wasn't his mother_.

But she was close. And close was good enough for him.

**A/N: I got some good feedback that I fully intend on following through on. I've had a mini-burst of inspiration as to where this story is going. I hope you like the direction. I've decided to develop Hatter and his mother's relationship more. Review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: A little bit of a longer wait on this one and for that I apologize. Hope this is good!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Alice.**

**Chapter 11**

Somehow, in the middle of the night, Hatter managed to drift to sleep.

Without a single nightmare.

He'd been having nightmares since his parents died, so a night without them was a welcome relief. And a perplexing one.

His mother had promised to keep watch for him when she noticed his eyes droop, but he'd tried to stay awake anyway. He knew that he shouldn't trust her, but his alertness was weakening and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He _wanted _to trust her. He _wanted_ to believe that he could sleep without anything happening.

He was only awoken by Alice's insistent shaking of him.

He opened his eyes slowly to find Alice's frowning face hovering over him.

"Well good morning there, sunshine," she deadpanned when his eyes blinked open.

"Why am I in trouble so early in the morning, love?" he asked, in an attempt to be charming.

She rolled her eyes and replied, "You didn't wake me up last night."

This time it was his turn to roll his eyes.

"You knew that I wasn't going to, even when I asked you to," he retorted, smiling lightly at his girlfriend's irritation. She was cute when she was mad.

Which was convenient considering how maddening she thought he could be.

"Well," she admitted, "Maybe I didn't. You should have anyway."

He shrugged at her, determined to let the subject drop. His smile flashing, he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut involuntarily as that spark of electricity they shared shot through him.

As quickly as it happened, Hatter pulled away, allowing himself to feel relief that he'd found her or, more appropriately, she found him.

Alice helped Hatter get to his feet before turning to his mother, who was standing against a tree trunk, eyeing them expectantly.

Clearing her throat, Alice extended her hand and began, "We got off on the wrong foot, what with me shooting a robot version of me and threatening to kill your son and all," she paused, frowning at how wrong of a foot that had gotten off on, "I'm Alice."

His mother's eyes flicked to Hatter's face before looking down at Alice's hand. She sighed softly and lifted her own to meet Alice's in a terse shake.

"I'm Mary, David's mother."

"Oh, David, I thought-" Alice stammered. He'd never had the chance to explain why he'd chosen David as his name in her world.

"That I named my son Hatter?" his mother guessed.

Alice nodded slowly, her facing showing her discomfort.

"I named him David, after his father. Hatter's just a nickname that he adopted when he was younger. He said that he'd always be there when someone-"

"Passed the hat," Alice filled in, smiling lightly at one of their first moments.

His mother looked startled for a moment, but quickly righted herself with an easy smile.

"Yes. It stuck for some reason. People rarely used to call him David," she concluded.

Alice nodded and turned to look at Hatter.

"So you're David Jr.?" she asked, her eyebrow quirking at him in curiosity.

"The third actually," Hatter answered, suddenly remembering just how secretive he had been about his past with her.

Her smile looked like it was about to turn into a frown. He could tell that she'd remembered his secrecy too.

Without thinking about, Hatter quickly blurted, "But I never met him. I used to have a Gran on my dad's side, but otherwise no relatives."

Her eyebrows rose in surprise at his feeble attempt to show her that he was willing to open up to her now. Although it was a pathetic attempt at best, he knew that she got the message, by the slight upturn of her lips.

"How did you and Hatter meet?" his mother asked unwillingly, as if she felt obliged to try and learn about her son's girlfriend.

"Oh, well, I followed my ex-boyfriend here from my world and Hatter helped me survive and get out," she replied, shortening their entire time in Wonderland into one short sentence.

"Why did you follow your ex-boyfriend here?" his mother quickly asked, her eyes widening as if she were a vulture finally having found a weakness.

Alice's brow furrowed, showing that she noticed the sudden shift as well, before she replied, "I thought that he was in trouble because some guys abducted him."

"Why did they abduct him?"

Alice visibly frowned at this question before answering, "Because he was the queen's son and he took the stone of Wonderland with him to my world to give to me."

"Why'd he give _you_ the stone? And if you had it the entire time then why drag Hatter into it at all?"

Alice's mouth opened slightly. Defensively, she replied, "Because he wanted to keep it away from his mother and trusted me with it. I didn't know what it was or where to go or what to do, and the Queen's guards were hunting me down. Hatter offered to help me and I trusted him, so I let him. I also wanted to find my ex-boyfriend and get him out too. Hatter was the only one who could trust me."

When his mother opened her mouth again to shoot out another rapid question, Alice interrupted, "Is there any reason you're asking me these questions?"

His mother huffed indignantly and replied, "I'm trying to get to know the woman my son loves. I want to make sure you're good enough for him."

Without giving Alice time to formulate a response, she continued, "Why bother getting the ex-boyfriend?"

"I thought I loved him."

"So you used my son to help some other guy you claimed to love?"

Alice's eyes went wide, and Hatter decided it was time to step in.

"Let's stop this. You weren't there mom, so you don't know how it really was. Don't make assumptions and don't interrogate Alice."

He placed a hand on Alice's back in a futile attempt to hold back Alice's angry retort.

"Hatter's right. And I didn't use him! He asked to help me! He was just using me for the resistance at first."

"God forbid he try to overthrow a tyrant," his mother muttered defensively.

"I'm not saying it was bad! I'm just saying that-" she froze and let out a frustrated noise.

Running a hand down her face, Alice asked, "What did I do?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," his mother denied.

Alice rolled her eyes and repeated, "What did I do?"

"I need more than that."

"Why don't you like me? What's with the judgments and third-degree? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything. I just don't want Hatter to get hurt."

"Listen, I'm not going to-"

"Wait," Hatter interrupted, holding up a hand to silence them, "Do you smell that?"

The two women sniffed at the air.

"It smells like," Alice began, still sniffing.

"Smoke," Hatter finished, trying not to let them know how deeply the smell affected him.

"We should find the source," Alice suggested, already heading in that direction.

Hatter hesitated. His mother hurried to his side and clutched his arm.

"Hatter," she whispered, her voice showing fear, "It smells just like it did that day!"

He nodded slowly. It did. The smell was unmistakable. He smelled it every night in his sleep.

It was the smell that would only ever remind him of the day his family died.

**A/N: I'm not sure why I made the mom bitchy. I just figured that she'd probably be concerned about the new woman in Hatter's life. I don't know. I hope this was good.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry for the longish wait for this. Hope this satisfies.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Alice.**

**Chapter 12**

After the smoke, two more reminders from his past appeared to him.

The first came as they were searching for the source of the smoke.

Hatter had been trailing slightly behind his mother and Alice, who were working together as if the awkward encounter they'd just had had never happened when he heard it.

The squawk of a crow.

He knew that it was a crow, because it was the same sound he'd heard when he arrived home to find his house on fire.

When he heard it, he instantly froze and scanned the area for the cursed bird, but found no sign of it. He tried to shake it off, but the feeling of panic and fear seized him much as it had that day so many years ago.

"Are you okay, Hatter?" Alice asked, her eyes scrutinizing his expression.

"Did you hear that?" he chanced, wanting to assure himself that it was simply a bird, rather than an omen.

Her face became a mask of confusion, as did that of his mother.

"You didn't hear that bird?"

The two ladies shook their heads at him and looked concerned. Hatter tried to shrug and pretend like it wasn't a big deal, but Alice could tell that he was freaked out. She reached towards him and interlocked their fingers, tugging him forward gently. He complied and tried to keep up with her as they searched on.

The second came in the form of a nosebleed.

A nosebleed had been the reason he'd been home to find his family dead. He'd gotten one in the middle of class and threw up at the sight of blood. It was a little pathetic, but he used to be slightly squeamish.

After he'd thrown up, someone from the school drove him home, because his mom wasn't answering.

Which made sense. Mad March had been stabbing her at the time of the phone call. She'd been a little busy.

A few minutes after he'd heard the crow, his nose had started bleeding.

He brought a finger to his nose and exclaimed, "What the hell?"

Alice and his mother had made a fuss to stop the bleeding, but the blood no longer concerned Hatter.

The memories did.

He brought his sleeve to his nose to stem the bleeding and shrugged gruffly. The three of them continued on.

He almost knew what they'd find when they reached the smoke.

The knowledge made him want to turn around and run away. It made him want to scream and cry and flip out.

But he knew that he couldn't run from what awaited him.

Mad March would _always_ find him.

He'd managed to take everything that Hatter cared about away from him thus far. But Hatter wouldn't let it happen again. He refused to let Mad March's little plan work.

He was going to kill Mad March.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hatter wasn't surprised when they found that a house had been on fire, causing the smoke.

He wasn't surprised that the house was an exact replica of his childhood home.

None of this surprised him.

The agony he still felt surprised him a little though.

As did the sharp crying coming from the house that clearly came from either a baby or a young child.

_Sophie_.

The name echoed through his head and devastated any thoughts of being rational.

He knew that it was likely suicide, but he was going to run into that house and try to save her.

"Stay here," he commanded angrily, moving to get his sister.

He felt Alice's hand sharply yank him back.

"No way. You'll die if you go in there alone," she exclaimed.

"History isn't going to repeat itself Alice. I'm going in there and bringing my baby sister out here to safety. And then I'm going back in and looking for my father."

"Sister? Father? Hatter what are you talking about?"

"Don't you see, Alice? Can't you see it? _This _is his plan. He's going to make me lose them twice and then he's going to take you away from me," his hands gripped her shoulders as tears gathered in his eyes. He continued, "I won't lose them again. I'm going in there."

"He's going to kill you!" Alice screamed. She understood now. It was obvious.

"I'm going in anyway," he argued, pulling away from her and turning to face his mother.

He'd planned to tell her to stay put, but instead was greeted with emptiness. No one was there.

He was scanning the area for his mother when he noticed his front door hanging open.

"No!" he screamed, taking off into a run after her.

He refused to lose her again.

**A/N: This is too short. I'm sorry. And it was a weird chapter to write…. I don't feel great about it, but whatever.**


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